craftgrrl | decorating a wooden box?

i have a dilemma and i was wondering if any of you would be able to help. i recently made a "going away" box for my boyfriend because we are going to be separated for about 10 months -- i'm going to spain for a semester and then, when i get back, he is going across the country for a religious retreat for 6 months. the box has all kinds of fun things to remind him of me/us inside of it but i'm not sure how to decorate it. the box is pretty big, probably about 8.5" by 7" by 4", and it's made out of wood. so far i have painted the entire thing a dark brown color, inside and out, but i'm not sure what else to do. the top of the box definitely needs something and i was thinking of carving a heart into it, but would that be too girly? i know it's something i would appreciate but not necessarily something that he would.

he's very much into music, so i've been considering trying to find appropriate song lyrics. i've also considered quotes from the Bible as well as the traditional irish traveler's blessing, but nothing feels right, so i'm hoping you girls have something better to suggest.

any ideas at all are much appreciated. thanks in advance!

xoxo